faith
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God is Good
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Ps. 34:8). Psalm 34 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for being a provider and deliverer in a time of trouble and distress. David tells of an hour in his own personal life… Continue reading
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Paul’s Summary of Grace
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gives particular attention to the grace of God. God, through his eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, has blessed us with great spiritual blessings. The epistle focuses on giving God the praise for all these blessings—“to the praise of his glorious grace.” Thus, it provides an excellent summary of grace. Grace… Continue reading
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The Lifter of My Head
“O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’ But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (Psalm 3:1-3). The way of discipleship is the way of the few,… Continue reading
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John Wycliffe: “Morning Star of the Reformation”
An important forerunner of the Protestant Reformation was John Wycliffe (ca. 1324–1384), an eminent Oxford professor. Wycliffe lived during the so-called “Babylonian Captivity of the Church” (1309–1378), when the papal headquarters were in Avignon, France; and the “Great Schism” when there were rival popes at both Rome and Avignon (1378–1417). These issues and other clerical… Continue reading
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An Exemplary Case of Conversion
“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:9-10).… Continue reading
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The Value of Church History
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Church history, or the history of Christianity, is the story of the movement begun by Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament, and continuing more than two… Continue reading
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Imitating Christ
Of the Imitation of Christ is the title of a book that was published in the Netherlands in the early fifteenth century, and is generally attributed to Thomas à Kempis. It was intended to serve as a handbook for spiritual life and discipleship. The book’s theme is set forth in the opening paragraph: “By the… Continue reading
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Ignatius of Antioch and the Presiding Bishop
Most of what we know about Ignatius is found in the account of his martyrdom. Ignatius was condemned by the imperial authorities and sent to Rome to die for the gratification of the people. Since there was no general persecution of Christians by Rome at that time, Ignatius was probably accused of being a Christian… Continue reading
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